My sister and I were both born with cystic fibrosis, and sadly, she lost her battle with the disease at only 16 years old. Her death has been the most difficult obstacle my family and I have ever had to overcome. I was lucky that my parents did not use her death, her constant struggle with her illness, as an excuse to raise me in a bubble. While CF has always and will always take up much of my time, my parents insisted that I live my life as normally as possible, that I always attended school, participated in extracurricular activities, and tried new things. My mom always told me to never let anything hold me back, advice that I have taken to heart.

With my parents’ encouragement and their faith in me, I was able to earn a degree in Personal and Civic Advocacy, which taught me how to speak publically and write to encourage people and give advice about getting through difficult situations. I love motivational speaking – especially to children with CF. I am lucky enough to teach them about CF through the use of humor, honesty, and a puppet named Moganko. I was lucky enough to discover my calling – a calling that allows me to share my story and touch as many lives as possible.

I am married to my wonderful, amazing wife Carly, with whom I share a blessed life. I get to speak with people and encourage people – a life’s work that I truly love. In spite of my CF, I am living, breathing, and succeeding – and will always follow my motto that I would rather try and fail than fail to try.

Favorite Holiday: Thanksgiving
Favorite Food: Italian
Favorite Pastime: Baseball and Football
Nickname: Mogey
One Word to Describe Me: Caring
Role Model: Anyone who does the best they can every day
You can find Josh on ... Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and his blog (http://www.welcometojoshland.com/)